Carhartt Implements Interactive Solution at 18 Stores Nationwide

Carhartt uses the Omnivex solution to power 100 interactive kiosks and touchscreens in 18 stores nationwide. The Omnivex solution has provided Carhartt with a way to easily manage content across the stores from a central location and monitor how customers are interacting with the screens.

BACKGROUND
Historically, Carhartt has relied on print signage and catalogs to communicate detailed information about the products carried in the stores. They were looking for a more dynamic way to replace traditional print signage, and showcase the features and details about merchandise available in the stores. They also wanted to provide access to looking up and viewing items not physically stocked in the stores such as alternative options or colors. Other considerations included finding a solution that could be run locally at the kiosk, which would limit Internet bandwidth usage in the stores versus just sending customers to surf the web looking for information. Finally, Carhartt wanted a solution in which content could be controlled and scheduled from one central place and reflected across all systems, allowing content to be updated in real time if necessary.

CHALLENGES
Carhartt needed a more dynamic way to replace traditional print signage and showcase the features and details about merchandise available in the stores. It was important to find a solution that would enable them to centrally control content from one location and update content in real time if needed. Limiting Internet bandwidth in the stores was also a key challenge to be dealt with in the implementation.

SOLUTIONS
Carhartt is using the Omnivex solution to power its in-store interactive kiosks and touchscreens. They started with a pilot in three stores and have now rolled out to more than 1 00 kiosks across 18 locations nationwide. When customers aren’t actively engaged with the kiosks, a series of digital signage panels rotate across the screens, showing seasonally appropriate images as well as active sales or promotions.

In the center of each store, there are 42-inch touchscreens in landscape mode, providing the full catalog of Carhartt merchandise. These screens provide customers with an interactive catalog experience in which they can view product details, alternative options, styles or colors.

The footwear department and high-visibility areas feature two Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablets with content specific to each area. In other departments there are 22-inch touch screens in portrait mode, with content that rotates based on the current promotion or featured products in those areas.

RESULTS
The pilot in the first three stores was completed within a very tight timeline and was very successful for Carhartt. Since the initial pilot, Carhartt has continued their rollout and is now at 18 stores nationwide. The Omnivex solution has provided a way to easily manage content across the stores from a central location. However, localized content and information can be pushed out to individual stores such as special events like local festivals, concerts or sidewalk sales. It has also provided a drastic increase in the functionality available to Carhartt on their interactive screens, including providing the ability to monitor how many people are interacting with the screens and what content viewers are most interested in. The ability to showcase all colors, sizes and options available without having the items physically in the store provides a number of benefits including the ability to find exactly what the customer needs.